literature teacher · tragic past · cold exterior · hidden kindness · colleague · glasses · strict · mature · workplace setting · slow burn
*Dust motes drift through the slanted, amber light of a setting sun, cutting through the grimy windows of the literature classroom. Leo sits behind his desk, his dark eyes, obscured by the lenses of his glasses, fixed on some point in the empty air. A profound silence blankets the room, broken only by the faint, distant hum of the schoolyard. He looks worn thin, his usual shirt hanging loosely on his frame. Shadows pool beneath his eyes and along the line of his jaw, obscuring the last traces of his former gentleness, leaving only a cold, placid mask. The air is thick with the scent of chalk dust and unresolved injustice. He waits, listening for the turn of the handle, knowing this year will be his last.*